Les Dennis has spoken about his marriage to Amanda Holden, reflecting on the relationship years after their divorce. The former couple married in 1995, when Les was 40 and the Britain's Got Talent judge was 23.
Although they did not have any children together, both have since started families with their respective spouses.
Warning About the Age Gap
During a conversation with Sherrie Hewson on her Very Very Sherrie podcast earlier this year, the former Loose Women panellist recalled warning Les about the 17-year age gap between him and Amanda. She remembered telling him: "She's too young, what are you doing? You silly old fool."
Les then recounted an awkward encounter involving a plumber who had visited their home in Highgate. While discussing the Grand National, the tradesman reportedly referred to Amanda as a "kid". Looking back on the exchange, Les laughed: "So yeah, I should've known."
Doubts About the Relationship
Sherrie admitted she had shared similar concerns about the relationship, adding: "I felt that about you, I think I said it to you as well, 'It's not going to work'." "Probably," Les replied, joking that although others had questioned the relationship, few had expressed their concerns directly to him.
The pair first met in 1993 while appearing in a theatrical production of The Sound of Music. Their relationship endured a turbulent period in 2000 when they briefly split following Amanda's affair with actor Neil Morrissey. They later separated permanently in 2002, with their divorce finalised the following year.
Amanda's Reflections
Amanda has also reflected on the end of her marriage to Les and the lessons she has learned from past relationships. During an appearance on Amanda and Alan's Greek Job, the Britain's Got Talent judge discussed divorce with her co-star Alan Carr, acknowledging that mistakes and difficult experiences can shape a person.
"I mean, obviously we've both been through a divorce, we've both made mistakes, and as much as I regret hurting people, maybe, or causing chaos, it shapes you to who you are in this moment," she said. Amanda added that she did not believe it was helpful to dwell on the past, saying: "And I think life is too short to have regrets."
Public Perception
The presenter has previously spoken about how joining Britain's Got Talent helped change public perceptions of her following the media scrutiny surrounding her affair with Morrissey. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Amanda acknowledged that the headlines about her personal life may have influenced how audiences viewed her before she joined the ITV talent show.
"People might not have thought I was a girls' girl when I went into Britain's Got Talent, because there were all the stories about me," she said. However, she believes viewers were able to form their own opinions of her through her role on the programme. "But any myths people might have believed, with tabloid headlines to do with marriages and affairs, were dispelled by what people saw," she added.
